


Dies illa.

by Gwenore



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Catholic Imagery, F/M, Priest Kink, archbishop - Freeform, smut in a cathedral
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-22
Updated: 2018-01-19
Packaged: 2019-02-05 08:07:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12790332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gwenore/pseuds/Gwenore
Summary: Father Gold has spent most of his time as part of the clergy to amass power to the point even the new king and queen should take care not to cross the archbishop. He has already started to think about how to spin the tension in the kingdom to his advantage.But then one day… he sees her.The girl with those blue eyes that can be nothing less than divine.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This came from me and ripperblackstaff‘s love for Frollo and Esmeralda (especially the musical version Notre Dame de Paris with Daniel Lavoie and Helene Segara) so of course Gold as a cruel archbishop falling for Belle needed to happen.   
> Hope you enjoy

Father Gold stood by the massive carved doors of his cathedral. The November morning air was making his breath visible as he rubbed his hands against each other, his eyes watching how the light snow was falling to the ground.

He delighted in the cold weather… it helped him think.

And hardly anyone was out in the chilly morning air as it was not market day and the day before mass. Father Gold had always hated the noise of a busy town… it was something that he could not stand.

His fingers ran across his crucifix, made of pearls and gold… a pure work of art and worth more than most would earn in their life time. He enjoyed the feeling of the smooth surface of the pearls as each one of them were perfect and how the gold was shimmering in the morning light.

The archbishop’s thoughts were wandering… thinking about the situation. There had been so many changes during the last year. The marriage between princess Mary Margaret and prince David had changed everything… two countries merged into one. It had created tension… the mildest description for what was going on.

The entire order of the society was in disarray, the nobles in near all out war against each other, those with power clamoring to it while the new comers were smelling blood in the water. It did not help that the newly crowned king and queen had an idea of reformation. Foolish thoughts of changing how the world had always worked.

It was an utterly silly notion.

But… Father Gold had to admit that it was at least entertaining.

Several had already came crawling to him… begging for his support and help. For now he had not picked his alliances… not that he kept such agreements longer than they had any benefit for himself.

Himself would rather that this unease continued, as gifts were not only enriching his cathedral, but also his own pockets.

The former queen Regina had been furious at the changes… it really was too bad with the old king… especially as she hadn’t managed to bear him a child before he died. Now she… well… her position were a precarious one indeed.

If the young royal couple were wise they would be very careful. Regina was not a woman to be trifled with. Father Gold had known her mother Cora… he did not know if there had ever existed a woman as dangerous as her. She had attempted to use her daughter for her means… to bad the daughter turned on her.

What happened were rumors of course… but it made it clear that Regina was not someone you should cross. And in this year with all that had been going on… Regina had been like a cornered viper.

Yes… the new royal couple needed to thread carefully indeed.

Perhaps he should offer his services… getting a foot directly in court could be very beneficial after all.

No…

Far better if they came to him. Then he had greater leverage.

Otherwise… well… he had spoken to Regina before. It could be very amusing to take down a king and queen. He hadn’t done that before.

Well, he may have… tripped king George… but that man was insufferable.

Father Gold may lend his services, but he was not one to be ordered around by anyone. Even men who spouted the title king.

His fingers had twinned itself around the pearls of his crucifix.

It was time to head inside… having letters to write… to decide who he would grant an audience.

Despite the cold morning it looked to be just a day as any other. Nothing of that much importance happening.

But this day… this day would change everything.

This day would be the start for him throwing away everything he had worked for decades to accomplish, leading him straight into his own state of simultaneous Elysium and… hell fire.

This was the day…

He saw her.

 

Across the square came a heavenly being… as the mortal coil could never have created anything so beautiful.

She was dressed in a simple blue dress, flowing in the cold morning air as she held her knitted shawl around herself… attempting to keep warm.

He took a step from his cathedral, no longer feeling the icy morning air. The snow falling only made the sight of her only more beautiful.

Even across the square he could see her alluring blue eyes, those that convinced him that she could not be a mere mortal. They were such a striking color… the sky itself wasn’t able to match them in splendor. Her cheeks were red from the cold, her fingers burrowing in her knitted shall as to protect them. She glanced up at the cathedral… and he could see amazement in her eyes.

Oh… he wanted to take her inside… to sit her beneath the sculptures of angels… depictions of creatures which paled in comparison to her. Just carved marble and shining metal… nothing to compare to her indescribable magnificence. He wished to see her in the candle light at the stained glass windows bathed her in all the color of the rainbow.

He would gently take her hands within his own, gently caress them to warm them up.

Father Gold closed his eyes.

What sort of spell had come over him… he had barely laid eyes upon this woman… and already he was completely in her thrall.

Why now?

No woman had ever been able to move him before… several having tried to work their charms on him before… having wished to have him use his money and power to please them. Most he would dismiss out of hand… though others he would make humiliate themselves.

Regardless… they held no sway over him.

But… for her… he would do anything.

His fingers were curling around the crucifix, trying to gain some sort of control back.

Father Gold felt a shiver go down his spine as he saw that those blue eyes had fallen on him. By all the devils in hell… those eyes…

In some way they absolutely terrified him… made him fear this unearthly beauty and instantly he backed away into the darkness of his cathedral.

The archbishop drew back up the aisle as the heavy ornate door slammed behind him. Inside his seat of power he desperately tried to catch his breath.

What heavenly creature had taken to walk among mortals? Had she come to destroy him? If that was the case… oh how he would welcome that sweet destruction.

No… he needed to gather himself.

This temporary spell of deepest insanity could not be allowed to get to him. He swallowed as he straightened his back, looking up at how the light shone inside the cathedral.

Like the cold outside, he allowed his heart to chill… not allowing this absurd passion to overrun him. no one would be able to see that a change had happen within the archbishop.

The rest of the day passed just like any other.

But that day…

Only the angels and saints depicted upon that cathedral were witness to what had happened this cold November day, as the snow fell in the shade of that towering glorious building.

This day that would lead to the powerful archbishop to fall to his knees in absolute devotion for the girl with the blue eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Belle takes confession.

Mass was starting and it had been a couple of days since Father Gold had seen the woman with the blue eyes… except for in his dreams. In his dreams he constantly saw her… her image haunted him.

The snow was constantly moving around her… making the world a glowing white. Each time he attempted to reach her… reaching his hand out, attempting to catch her.

But… the snow became overpowering… and she vanished.

He would wake in his bed drenched in swear and breathing heaving. He would sit there in his bed, clenching his crucifix, brushing his fingers across the pearls.

What sort of insanity had gotten its claws in him?

This lost of sleep had made him exhausted. Though at this point he was certain that he could hold mass in his sleep… having done it for several years at this point.

One of the deacons, Archibald was holding the opening speech. Father Gold had picked this man out himself. While he was known to do his work to the best of his ability, a very nervous man indeed, Father Gold wasn’t sure the man had ever dared to meet his eye. This was the reason he had chosen him. The man was completely without ambition and his mind was not capable of plotting or deception. Father Gold was not foolish enough to not keep an eye on him, but… he was as harmless as anyone could be.

He blinked slightly as the deacon mentioned for him to take over. Father Gold bowed his head as he wandered towards the podium, looking towards the crowd, taking note of who was there as he started his read.

There was several nobles as well as members of the court, but then…

Gold froze for a moment, his flowing words silenced, if only for a seconds. There among a sea of faces blending into the church benches were a pair of blue eyes.

He breathed softly as he looked down, his word now flowing from his lips, but his mind hardly even considered them.

In the time since he had seen her he had convinced herself that she was nothing more than a vision of heaven… something that was impossible to be real.

Yet… seeing her among the uninteresting faces of the people of the town… _how could this divine creature lower herself into being among them?_... confirmed that she was real. On some level that absolutely terrified him.

Finally the archbishop got some for to relief as he finally was able to finish. Mass seemed to go on forever… though the arch bishop could remember none of it. All he could do was to stand in awe of those wonderful blue eyes. It was pure torment standing before those blue eyes, he was trapped within them.

He wanted to approach her… he wanted like in his dreams to run to her. But he could not. He could only stand there and watch her.

As mass was dismissed he was finally able to withdraw into the darkness of the quarters… hiding away from those blue eyes that he was certain could see his very soul.

It was only when he was able to hide in the darkness of those ancient halls… hiding like some damned creature from the light.

Like a slithering snake he retreated back into his quarters. Without even removing his robes he sank down into his reading chair, resting his head against his fingers, gazing into the fire.

He thought for a long while, listening to the crackling of the flames. He did not know who she was… not even her name. He did not know where she was… how he would find her…

Of course he had his ways to find out who she was… but… it was hard as he did not know her name. It would be hard for him to tell his agents to find information about the girl with the blue eyes.

Besides… what would he do if he found her…

He grabbed his bottle of whiskey, pouring himself a generous glass and swallowed it all… not at all thinking about the burn.

He hardly even felt it.

Like that the archbishop spent the rest of the day, refusing to accept any visitors, saying that he needed time in peace to pray, while he instead continued to drink until he passed out in his bed.

 

It was now Wednesday… the middle of week. Father Gold’s thoughts had left the girl with the blue eyes. He had long since stopped caring for the happenings at court. Even the new royal couple had lost all interest to him.

He was certain that some of the deacons had noticed the difference in his actions… yet he did not care.

Now he was slowly wandering near the alter of the cathedral… looking up towards the rafters and shielding himself from the prying eyes of those wandering inside.

Then he saw her.

Once again she had walked inside his domain… but she looked… nervous… almost distraught.

She cast nervous glances around herself before she made haste towards the confession booth and locked herself inside.

Hurriedly he moved towards it, noticing that Archibald was the one to start walk inside… being one who usually heard confessions, however spotting the archbishop approaching he bowed his head and walked away.

Father Gold entered the booth, sitting himself down. He could not see her clearly, though he could glimpse her slightly. This had been the closest he had been able to get to her, and he ran his fingers gently across the wooden panel separating the two of them.

She seemed to notice that someone in the other booth and he watched her lower her gaze towards the floor.

“Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. It has been three weeks since my last confession.”

The archbishop’s heart felt like it was about to burst as a shiver ran down his spine at her voice. It was so soft… so gentle.

He could listen to that voice for a man’s age and beyond.

“What ails you my child?”

He attempted to keep his voice calm… to not show anything of the storm raging within. The amount of control that he had prided himself on for his whole life had all but vanished before this woman and already desire was heating his flesh like the purest hellfire.

She went silent for a while… he could barely make out her biting her lip through the screen separating them.

The fires were growing stronger and he had to grit his teeth to keep silent.

Like if he was some common beast he swore he could smell her… the sound of her soft breaths and the slight rustling made her… real… and that she was so close…

Father Gold could not keep from gently rolling his hips, his arousal growing steadily as he attempted to control his breathing.

“I have… always been a rebellious child… I know this… and I know I should do as my father wishes… but…” she stopped. The archbishop blinked slightly.

“What my child?” he asked, his hand moving inside his robes… feeling how desperate her very presence had made him.

Because… when faced with such divinity… what could a man do but to fall to carnal pleasures?

Again she hesitated, him feeling the desperate need to keep absolutely silent as the slightest of sounds could give him away… even though he could feel his breathing getting heavier.

“It is… he has picked out a man for man for me to marry…”

Those words were enough to cause a shiver to go down his back. The thought to allow anyone else to have her… to be able to posses this image of divinity?

The thoughts of jealousy was searing within him, yet it only fueled the  fire burning inside him. Slowly his hand moved against his member, again desperately gritting his teeth together too keep revealing to her this most sinful of acts.

“And… this has caused you… distress?” he was fighting to keep his voice from becoming a lustful growl.

“I… I just… I do not think I can love him…” her voice was like the softest of whispers. He was already dripping.

“Have you… have you met him?” he was struggling to even think.

“I have… shortly… he is… he may be a noble, but I do not believe him righteous,” she confessed. The archbishop fought to hold back a chuckle. It was hard to find a single noble that could even by the lightest definition of the word be described as righteous.

“And is it… finalized?” he dreaded the answer. She shook her head. Through the panel dividing them he saw how she sat, shawl still around herself, her fingers tying themselves up in it. How he wished it was those fingers rubbing against…

He bit his tongue so hard it drew blood as he felt a surge of pleasure go through him, forcing himself to still not make a single sound, having to tighten his grip not to come yet. He wanted to drag this torment out for eternity.

“No… not yet…” she answered and a gleeful smile spread upon his lips. Then… things could still be done. He did not want his divine being to be in any distress… and the devil himself would be inspired by the torment he would bring upon those who hurt her.

“Then… my dear… I would not grieve early. Have faith… it may still work out…” he attempted to assure her… not aware that his address of her had changed. Luckily she did not either.

“Perhaps… perhaps you are correct…” she dared to smile towards him, though he could hear that she did not believe him.

Of course… she had no reason to… but… he was going to make sure that she did not need to feel sad…

“I assure you that your situation will seem lighter soon. Come here to the cathedral and pray… pray for guidance. You are not alone, keep this in mind,” he assured her, luring her back into his dominion.

This time he could see her give him a smile, this driving him further into insanity, every sinful desire wishing for him to loose control. Pleading with him to give in to those carnal desires which was continuing to burn within him.

In truth he wished to keep her… to trap her inside this realm where he was king… to hide her away from the word which would surly only hurt her. He would never wish for her to be hurt. She deserved everything good.

He wanted to give her that… he would give everything for her… to just have her… no matter how briefly.

Oh yes…

He would give anything for that.

His riches… his power… his sanity and his very soul.

Everything were hers to take.

And she did not even know.

“Thank you, Father… you really have lightened my mind… I shall do as you advise… I shall come and pray everyday. Hopefully it will grant me that the guidance that I need…” her voice was a slightly hopeful. Sweat was now beading on his forehead with the desire that was burning within, the hand he used to pleasure himself were now trembling.

“Peace be with you…” he whispered, swearing that his voice would betray him at any moment.

“And with you,” she bowed her head to him and exited the booth.

As the door closed behind her he allowed himself to finally give into the pleasure as an indecent moan got caught in his throat.

For a long time he could only sit there and attempt to control his breathing. Drying his brow he righted his cloak in an attempt to be presentable.

Keeping his dark cloak around him, he swiftly drew himself back into the shadows of the depths of the cathedral and with his mind now free from the overwhelming fog of desire, he started his plot to give his Divinity her freedom.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Father Gold shows Belle his library.

Father Gold had done a bit of investigation since the Wednesday of the confession. Since then he had learned that the lady’s name was Belle French, the daughter of a rich merchant named Maurice French.

Belle… no name could be more fitting for someone like her.

He also found out who her fiancé was. A Gaston LeGume… he was the type of noble that the archbishop could not stand. To be fair, he could not stand most nobles… but he was the worst kind. Having no worth to society, now not even having money or power, only a name. Those types were no worse than parasites.

Then again…

To have such men arrested and hung for a crime is easy… they certainly had made enough during their time.

It had only been enough to send a note to the inquisitors. Those damn vultures would take any chance to feast on the carcass of someone like him, ripping apart everything he had left of value. Then either kill him or sentence him to some degrading punishment for several years. Gold hardly doubted that anyone would stick their neck out for a man such as that.

And… if he heard talk about that a meeting with the head of the inquisition would make certain he never saw the light again. Especially if that meeting were followed by a donation.

The inquisition like everyone was not that hard to buy.

It had taken some days and each day, Belle had done as he suggested. She would come to the cathedral and pray.

How she graced the halls with her beauty.

He would always watch her, from a safe distance. He did not dare get too close.

However… one day there were no one else in the cathedral. Marked day. People had other things to concern themselves with.

But she was there. The archbishop noticed a sort of  relieved look upon her face. Well… the news of the arrest should be known by now.

Slowly he walked up to her, when she spotted him she let out a slight gasp before she bent her head. He smiled at her, pretending to be the kind priest who cared for his flock… an act he had not really bothered to put on for a very long time.

“Ah, my child, you look… relieved,” he told her, smiling gently. Belle nodded her head slightly.

“Um… though I confess that it may be sinful for me to feel relieved,” she muttered as her gaze fell to the floor.

“Oh?” he asked, it taking everything in his power to keep a smirk from coming upon her lips. She remained silent for a while, clearly unsure if she should continue.

“Do not worry, you may speak to me. Words spoken to a man of god is no to leave the church, and you do seem like you could have a need for speaking about it,” he told her sitting himself down on the church bench before the massive gilded alter.

Belle nervously took a seat next to him.

“Well… you see… the man I were to marry were arrested… I do not know the charge, but it seems to be pretty grim. I am not going to marry him anymore and… I am relieved,” she looked into her hands as she spoke.

Father Gold held back a chuckle, but smiled and nodded.

“Well… the inquisition never tells even the accused what the charge is. Makes them confess to things they don’t yet know about. Makes them dig the whole they are in very large in most cases,” he explained to her.

“That sounds… rather terrifying…” Belle whispered.

“I suppose… I have never been interrogated by them, so I wouldn’t know. But it certainly is not sinful for a decent lady such as yourself to have her fate tied to such a man. His crime is his own, and will not taint your life. So being relieved and happy… that is only justified,” he assured her. With that she dared to give him a smile.

“Thank you your eminence, I have been worried. While I wish no harm on anyone… to be married to him would be a fate worse than death for me. Perhaps you will find this inappropriate for a woman of my standing, but… I do enjoy reading. Gaston was known for his disdain for books… especially for woman to read… how could I be happy with such a man?” she was opening up… clearly having no one else to speak of with that. Father Gold allowed himself to let out a soft chuckle.

“Several men like him holds that view. Claiming that books are dangerous. I would not ever wish to spend time around such people myself. They never tend to be very interesting nor hold a conversation about anything more exciting than the weather,” he cocked his head. The heavenly creature let out a slight laugh at this… the most beautiful sound that he had heard and caused his heart to flutter.

“And weather is actually he best topic you can hope for,” she giggled. Father Gold looked at her. To see her smile…

The archbishop did not know that anything could make this being look more beautiful… but her smile… her smile did it.

He wanted to see her smile as he swore it light up this dark cathedral. A smile came upon his features he thought of something.

“Lady French… do you have a moment?” he then asked as he stood up. Belle was really confused, furrowing her brow, but nodded her head.

“Yes Father,” she told him. He started to lead her to the back of the cathedral, unlocking the door before opening it, letting her inside.

“Where are we going your eminence?” Belle asked him.

“Oh…” he smiled softly. “It is something I am certain will delight you.”

With that he light a candle and lead her through the corridors which connected the cathedral to the buildings behind. Belle honestly felt really disoriented as she attempted to follow the shimmering robes of the archbishop.

They then arrived at the massive mansion behind it, Belle looking astonished at the statues and frescos on the wall.

“This is… this is beautiful…” she whispered.

“Well, the quarters were not what I wished to show you… but I suppose it is rather… decorative,” Father Gold had long since become used to this place… not that he was usually impressed by such things…

Instead he turned towards the two big doors under the split stairwell, opening them and mentioned her inside.

Belle glanced over at him… he could see curiosity on her face before she slowly stepped inside and he could hear her let out a stunned gasp.

Never before had she seen a library this large and with such splendor. Slowly she walked along the walls which held great volumes from all over the world.

“Some of these… some of these are centuries old…” Belle murmured as she ran her fingers over the spine of the massive volumes.

“Are these… handwritten?” she asked stunned.

“Some…” the archbishop replied. “They were created long before the printing press after all. Most are more recent and printed though.”

He watched her open one of them, her supple fingers running across the parchment. Her blue eyes then looked toward him again.

“Why would you show me this?” she asked breathlessly.

“Well… it seemed to me that you wanted to see it… and from what I can tell… I was not wrong in this assumption,” he gave her a gentle smiled from the chair that he had sat himself down in. Belle swallowed, but nodded her head.

“I cannot believe such a place existed in this town…” she was clearly still in awe as her voice did not raise above a whisper.

“Well... this old cathedral does have some secrets.. or well… this is rather behind it, but… oh well…” Gold shrugged his shoulders.

“The cathedral is absolutely stunning… it is really so old…” she continued to wander down the wall, her eyes eagerly gliding over the spines, reading the titles. Most of them were in Latin. She knew a bit of Latin, but nothing more than she had learned as a child.

“More than five hundred years old…” he shrugged his shoulders.

“Do you know its story?” she asked, he could hear the curiosity in her voice.

“Hm… it was built upon a catacomb,” he told her. He watched her over at him, not expecting this.

“That is not usual… I know people get buried in cathedrals… but…”

“Well… there was this warrior… no one knows his name… but he died and would not remain at rest, not within the catacombs. The people would see him walk around, not as a ghost but a walking carcass. Apparently he had sold his soul to the devil and as his work was not done… he was not allowed to rest. So to keep him in they built the cathedral above it so that he would never be able to escape to do the devil’s work. God’s house built on the devil’s graveyard… pretty fitting in a sense,” he told her the old legend, riveted with how she hang at his words.

“And… you believe this to be… true?” she whispered, moving towards him. He had to force himself to remain calm. She was close now… nothing separating them as she sat upon the table beside him. The archbishop smiled softly before he shrugged.

“I do not know. But there is a catacomb under the cathedral, that part is true. It is never used though… hardly would be wise,” he then smiled before he walked over and wandered among the walls for a bit before he grabbed a book and handed it to her.

“Here… this tells of the local legends,” He told her. “You may borrow it and decide for yourself if you think that it is true.”

Belle took the book as if it was made of pure gold, when it was just a dusty little thing, before clutching it to her chest.

“I will be sure to return it quickly. Thank you, you have lifted my spirits greatly, your eminence!” She smiled. He nodded his head as they proceeded to walk out towards the cathedral again.

“I hope to speak with you again soon Lady French, and hope to see you return to the cathedral. Know that you are always welcome,” he said as he lead her once more through the corridors.

At the cathedral he watched her walk down the aisle before vanishing into that busy street outside.

His heart had been racing the entire time… even if he had tried to seem calm. He wanted so much to hold her… to touch her.

How could he tell her that he wanted to give her everything?

The priest turned away and walked into the darkness. He needed to think… as not even he knew what he would do next…


End file.
